IROQUOIS EPIC MYTH: HODADEION PART THREE

PART 3- THE WIZARD HODIADATGON. With the Wasp-Men overcome, Hodadeion the god of magic piled all of their naked bodies in a pile and burned them, all the while being observed by a sinister-looking owl. Then he ordered his wooden soldiers to go back to the cabin he shared with his sister Yeyenthwus and brother Otgoe. The demigod further ordered them to fall in a neat pile once there and revert to their stick forms so that they could be used as firewood by his siblings.

When those tasks were completed Hodadeion continued north on his quest, happily noting the vile owl was nowhere in sight. At length he came upon a large tree stump in the middle of the path he was following. The path was well-traveled so it seemed impossible that a tree had grown and eventually died on the path, leaving  only this tall, thick stump.

Apprehensively the god of magic approached the stump, only to feel himself bounced back as he reached out to touch it. Hodadeion rose to his feet, ready for anything as the stump transformed into an elderly wizard before his eyes. The sorceror, named Hodiadatgon, announced that he had Hodadeion where he wanted him and had seen him burn the bodies of the fallen Wasp-Men after they had been slain by the demigod’s wooden warriors.

Hodiadatgon asked the deity how he would like it if he chanted a counter-spell to transform his wooden warriors into sharp spears and caused them to fall on his sister and brother’s cabin in a deadly rain. Hodadeion taunted back that he would like it fine since it would give his siblings spears to fish with in his absence.

While the evil magician carried out his threat, Hodadeion sang a chant of his own, causing Yeyenthwus and Otgoe’s cabin to turn to stone, making it invincible to the rain of deadly spears. When the raining spears had all broken on the stone cabin the vile Hodiadatgon cursed and transformed himself back into a stump like a tortoise retreating into its shell.

Not to be thwarted, Hodadeion set a small twig on fire then transformed himself into a mole. Carrying the burning twig in his mouth he dug into the ground under the stump until he came to one of the roots. He used the twig to set the root on fire and then fled back to the surface and transformed himself back into his humanoid form.

A great smoke arose from the ground under the stump, then flames began to spread around the base of that stump. Unable to endure any more Hodiadatgon turned back into his own humanoid form but was burned to a crisp. As the defeated old sorceror fell down his head burst open and his soul escaped in the form of the owl that had watched Hodadeion burn the corpses of the Wasp-Men. 

FOR PART FOUR CLICK HERE: https://glitternight.com/2013/05/29/iroquois-epic-myth-hodadeion-part-four/     

FOR PART ONE CLICK HERE: https://glitternight.com/2013/03/17/iroquois-epic-myth-hodadeion/

For my original list of Iroquois deities click here: https://glitternight.com/2013/01/28/the-top-fifteen-deities-in-iroquois-mythology/

© Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.